Ghost in the City: Early chapter 235 (Patreon)

“Okay I think I got the style right.” Hiromi whispered as she played with my hair. 

“Hiromi, it's just a hair piece.”“It has to be perfect!” She argued, but I think she was just having fun playing with my hair.

I just let her. I wasn’t in a rush anyways, my Kimono was put on, and I was done up. It honestly was pretty cool. The fact I had a Katana lying beside me really made me want to draw it and see what my range of motion would be, but Hiromi would yell at me.

I wonder if I would get into a sword fight today. That’d be fun. I’ve never had a sword fight in a Kimono before. 

“Ow!” I hissed as Hiromi thwacked me on the top of my head with a fan of all things. “Hiromi!”“Uh-uh. I know that look. Everything is going to go perfectly! Remember you’re a Rockerboy now, with an actual contract, don’t let them push you around… But maybe talk to some of them about a TC deal. The Tygers could help set up concerts and distribution-”“Hiromi.”“Fiiine. Just ignore all that like you were going to anyway, and try to act composed. Hayato-Sama could be a very useful contact.”“I’ll tell her you said that.”“Don’t you dare!” She hissed and I laughed as I reached up and fought Hiromi’s hand for a moment before helping her finally push the hair piece in place, noticing in the mirror we were sitting in front of her, face going a bit red in anger.

“I’ll be careful, and as much as Hayato screams at me, we’re friends, so it’ll be okay. If anything goes wrong I’ll have a Katana, and more importantly, it’ll all go okay because no one at the party is going to want to cause trouble in front of their boss.”“If you say so.”“I do. Now, help me up?” I asked, holding my hands up, and she huffed and walked around in front of me, and I grabbed her hands and mostly just got up on  my own, as otherwise I’d tug Hiromi right into me.

It’d be funny but she’d kill me in this big old Kimono.

“The car should be here soon.”“Then get down there.” Hiromi said squeezing my hands for a moment, even if they were chrome I could still feel it. 

“I’ll see you after?”“Yes! You have to tell me everything! No better yet! Get a BD! No wait, don’t do that, they might get angry.”“Bye Hiromi.” I called out as I moved away from her rambling. Okay, now the annoying part. 

I looked myself over in the mirror for a second. 

Flowery hair piece, it was kinda cute, but it hid my short hair by tugging everything back.

My dark blue almost purple Kimono looked nice, and the fancy Katana at my hip fit in well. I sighed and then moved, I had a set of geta of all things at the door to slip into, so I wouldn’t  muss the white socks I was wearing.

“You got this Motoko!” Hiromi yelled as I walked out, and I couldn’t help but chuckle.

By the time I made it to the garage a fancy car was in fact pulling in, and when it stopped in front of me, the door opened revealing Hayato herself. 

Her Kimono compared to mine was night and day, but she looked me over with a blur of her eyes and then nodded. 

“Accceptable.”“Yeah yeah, you got me in this monkey suit, let’s go.” I told her, as I slipped in, the door closing on its own behind me.

“It is not a monkey suit! It is a-”“Hayato.” I interrupted her, and smiled as I leaned in. “I’m just joking. It looks cute. I like yours too. The hair piece suits you.”“Ah… It was my mothers.”“It’s lovely.” I told her, reaching over and patting her hand, which she puffed up at but didn’t say anything. 

The ride was quiet for a little bit as Hayato seemed to be a little distracted, but eventually she spoke. 

“Stick close to me during the party. I wish to make sure everyone is reminded that you work for me.” She said, and clenched her hand around my own tight for a second.

Heh, what is it with Hiromi and Hayato, both holding my hand today?

“Sure… There will be a snack table though right? Cause-”“Yes there will be snacks!” She snapped at me in a rush glaring and puffing up, and then getting even redder in anger as I was smiling brightly at her. “You are messing with me.”“I am.” I assured her honestly. “Don’t worry. I’m here because you invited me. I’m not really a Tyger Claw, which you know. So I’ll hang around a while and do the show off thing.”“You… You should be proud of being a Tyger Claw.” She grumbled at me, but I shook my head. 

“I’m an assassin. I’ll do gigs for you, because you’re my friend, but I’m definitely not Tyger material.”She took a moment, eyes narrowed at me before scoffing. “We shall see.”The rest of the drive was mostly quiet, Hayato was breathing slowly, seemingly getting herself ready for what was coming and I didn’t disturb her, while I did something similar. 

Ugh. This was going to get so awkward. 

Finally we pulled into a garage area, and I noticed right away that the place wasn’t empty. 

Tyger Claw motorcycles and vehicles littered every inch of the garage, and gang members sat on them, or hung around.

We joined a stream of vehicles that entered, and each stopped disgorging men and women in suits and fancy dresses. 

When it was our turn, I stepped out, feeling eyes on me, I scanned around, but everything was clear, and I stopped and held out a hand for Hayato. 

She took it and lifted herself out of the car. 

She strode forward chin tilted up seeming confident and I followed. Up into the elevator, that was held open for us.

“Nakagawa-Sama.” The man that was already inside with his date greeted us with a solid bow.

“Kojima. I wish you fortune.”“And I you.” He offered back and I joined beside Hayato, noticing the girl the man had on his arm was a doll.

Poor thing she probably wouldn’t remember any of tonight when she got home.

“It is a pleasure to see you join us this year, Nakagawa-Sama. Will you be joining your Nakagawa-Sama for the declaration?”“I will Kojima. Today I stand with Otou-Sama.” “Excellent. I will look forward to seeing your flourish Ojou-Sama.”

“Hmph!” She huffed at the older man's pretty words, and I had to fight to keep the smile off my face. 

Heh. He called her Princess! She totally was the Yakuza Princess!

The elevator pinged, and I noticed Hayato shift, standing straighter, her arms shifting those long kimono sleeves adjusted to practically flair around her as she looked at me for a moment and I nodded. 

Then we stepped out, Kojima standing back as she stepped out first, and I followed.

This thankfully was familiar, it was the same high end apartment area that I’d been dragged to before, only this time everything was fancy and decorated. The security checkpoint was still there, and as we approached I grumbled a bit as I was obviously scanned, and I had to sigh and adjust myself. 

It had taken a bit of work to get the Burya properly sandwiched but with a bit of work that had Hayato growing redder and redder, I pulled the heavy pistol out of where I had crammed it in, and then dropped it heavily onto the little bin that had been held out for me.

Everyone was looking at me, but I shrugged. 

“A lady should always carry a weapon capable of dealing with a heavy cyborg.” I informed the attendant, who looked from me to the Burya before looking back at me, and bowing.

“Motoko.” Hayato said, her voice a bit quavering in anger, but I shrugged. 

“I had to at least try.” I admitted to her as we walked past, only a glance given to my Katana as I shuffled after Hayato who was a bit huffy after that.

Then we walked into the main room. 

The apartment had been done up like a ball room. Lights strewn above us, and beautiful women and well dressed men were in every corner. 

Some of them weren’t even TC. 

I think I saw a few semi-famous faces hanging around, which was a bit weird.

Hayato stepped forward and the crowd of course parted for her as she headed deeper in, and yet, she walked slow enough for me to keep pace. So I figured that was my role.

I shifted to be at her side, my eyes flashing over the crowd as if prepared to deal with any enemies. I could totally play the role of the loyal samurai bodyguard. At the least it was more fun than just hanging around doing nothing.

“Hayato.” The whiskey and smoke voice of Hayato’s father called out, and Hayato walked through the spread crowd to stand before the well dressed man.

Seriously, it was kinda unfair. The guy looked stupidly handsome.

“Otou-Sama.”“Good, I am glad you arrived. Look Otowa, my daughter has truly blossomed, she will stand beside me tonight.” The man said, turning to the suit clad man he had been talking with. Not someone I recognized to be honest.“We are honored by Nakagawa-Sama’s presence tonight.”“Thank you Otowa. I wish you a pleasant Holiday.”“Your words are too kind.” The man offered with a bow.

I just stood there, at least I could fall into the bodyguard role, it made this whole thing a little less embarrass-And now I was being spoken to.

“Kusanagi Motoko, I hope you find the party pleasant?”“I know some people so it’s not terrible.” I admitted, probably a bit too bluntly as Hayato glared at me.

Shinobu just smiled, and damn was even his half smile handsome.

Stupid handsomes!

“You are here as a guest of honor, so I hope at least that our party will be more than not terrible. There is another matter, Hayato, show Motoko to the guest room. Hagihara-Sama is waiting.”Hayato didn’t quite jolt, at the words, but I could see the way her body reacted under the Kimono like she wanted to.

“I understand, Otou-Sama. I will do so now. Come Motoko.” Hayato said, her voice blurring a bit as she was excited. She was so excited she actually reached out and grabbed my hand to tug me along.

I just rolled my eyes and let her, and waved to the men as I was pulled away.

I think I was surrounded by girls that really liked bossing me around.

“Who is Hagihara?” I asked, but Hayato just sent me a smug look and pulled me along. While there were a few stops, as men and women spoke to Hayato, she thankfully kept the conversations brief as she moved on.

Then we headed up a set of stairs to the next floor, which was set up like a quiet pavilion, and I noticed Wakako was sitting up here at one of the tables set out.

But Hayato just nodded at her grandmother as she tugged me along, and I just sent a helpless shrug.

Then we came to a door and Hayato stopped and knocked on the door.

A word in Japanese was called out, and Hayato opened the door carefully, in a very japanese style, as she guided me inside.

The room was mostly empty, but not bare. And a man sat in Seiza in the center, a very old man. I glanced him over. He had cyberware, but it was odd. Only one eye was an optic. One arm was entirely chrome and it ran all the way to his chest, just like my own.

He’d lost his arm? Or was the look intentional. His… Hakama? Kimono? Dangit I always hated trying to remember what it was called. His top was half off, showing the flesh of his stomach, and the chrome that riddled his older body, but the guy was fit.

And what caught my eye was the set of Katana that stood out before him. 

They were fancy black lacquer, but they weren’t completed. I couldn’t remember what they were called, but the wooden sheath the sword was placed in, was just bare white wood, and it was meant to store a Katana when not in use.

The man’s optic glared at me, it’s Iris shifting and growing and shrinking. He was scanning me.

No, he was scanning the sword on my hip.

He spoke again and Hayato replied in Japanese, and I just felt left out.

“Sorry, I don't speak Japanese.” I said finally, and the man went still as he stared at me, only his Optic seemed to shift glaring at me, while the rest of his face was made of granite for all it shifted. 

“Ugh. Motoko, get a language chip if you-” Hayato started to hiss at me before stopping and shaking her head. She instead spoke to who I could only assume was Hagihara.

“I speak English.” The man said, in very broken English.

Fairly confident he did not in fact speak English.

“As you wish Hagihara-Sama.” Hayato replied, but I moved forward, and then knelt in front of him. With an easy motion I pulled the sheathed sword from my hip and offered it to him.

He’d never really taken his eye off it.

He said nothing but reached out and took it, unsheathing it without hesitation and looking the blade over.

“It is… How do you say… Trash.” He said, seemingly coming to his decision.

“Yeah, but it was a blade that was trying to kill me. So it’s mine now.”He nodded at that. And then he resheathed it, and offered it back to me. “Show me… Take… Hold.” He said seemingly finding the words, and I nodded. 

I pulled the blade in a quick motion and then while still kneeling held it in both hands.

He took a look at my grip his eye scanning and then without a single motion he seemed to get to work.

Reaching out to grab the top Katana from the stand that had been in front of him, and pulled the blade free from the wooden sheath, I felt myself stiffen.

The blade was beautiful. 

I wasn’t a connoisseur of swords. If it was metal, and mostly sharp I was fairly satisfied. My Arasaka brutalist Thermal Katana was still my favorite after all, but…

A part of my Blades Skill was knowledge on handling, and use of blades, and you can’t use a blade properly if you couldn’t read the weaknesses of a blade.

Where the cutting point was, where the weight would jerk a blade out of your hand, or if it would snap if stabbed into some gonk.

I’d seen some fancy Katana, but there was a fancy Katana, and then there was a functional sword. 

Built by a Master.

The wave in the blade… Hamon? That sounded right, was something beautiful, like a fire flickering across the edge.

“You, cut words.” He said in broken english as he pulled the blade free of the wood and placed it gently on the cloth in front of him, and then he seemed to set to work, pulling out pieces of a hilt, and right there, with tolls he pulled from around him with clean cuts with his chrome hand he cut the wood, and even steel plates, that he began fixing into the wood. “Blade, cut only, want.”

Those were certainly words. I don’t know what cutting words had to do with anything, but of course I only cut what I want.

I nodded, and he continued to work, his hands a literal blur, as the hilt was put together in moments, the speed of a man backed by cyberware, and the experience of a master.

Just there as I watched, he fixed the length of the handle, finished putting it together, and slipped the tang of the Katana into the handle, along with a hand guard that he pulled from a pocket within his hakama. 

Then he pulled what I could only assume was some sort of silk, and began wrapping it. It only took a few minutes, longer as he finished the wrap, and a real sheath was already prepared and the blade slipped inside. 

The whole time I was shooting glances at Hayato, who was being a good girl, staying still and stoic, but I could tell she was interested too.

“You Kensei, a blade, worthy.” He  offered it to me, and I couldn’t help but swallow a little. I reached out and took the blade from him, instantly I could feel the balance, even in the sheath it was perfect. 

I put my hand on the hilt and… “You reinforced it. So I wouldn’t damage the wood with my grip.” I said, the slightly heavier bits of steel in the hilt. It had been because in the age of Cyborgs, if you just used normal wood, you’d end up cracking the hilts if you squeezed too hard.

He stared at me, and then slowly glanced at Hayato.

Who quickly translated, much to my amusement.

“Hai.” He said finally. Then he started putting everything away. I watched for a moment, but Hayato rose up and bowed. 

“Arigato Hagihara-Sama.”The old man grunted once in response.

I looked at the katana in my hands. “It’s the finest blade I’ve ever seen.” I told him, and his eyes glanced to me, and he nodded.

I rose and slipped the shiny fancy sheath into the slot in my Obi that Musashi’s shitty Katana had been in before.Then I sighed and it felt a bit wrong, but I slipped that blade in with it. 

Turning I left the room, nothing else needed to be said. 

I stepped out and noticed Wakako again and rose an eye at her, as Hayato came out behind me. 

“Decided to see both parts of the entertainment Wakako?”“Hmm. Perhaps.” She offered glancing at my sword with interest, but I didn’t unsheath it. 

She shrugged at my refusal to give her a peak. 

“Hayato. Your father wants to show off Motoko before the meeting begins.”“Yes Grandmother. Come Motoko.”“I didn’t ask or anything, but I sort of expected to have to pay for this.”“You are paying for it.” Wakako offered bluntly. “You will be shown as a wild pony, a sign of Japanese superiority to those present. Do well, and the payment will be in full.”“And if I fail?”“Don’t. You are not wealthy enough.”I scoffed at Wakako's blunt response and nodded at her. 

Hayato pulled me along and down we went back down the stairs and into the main room, where Shinobu was easily holding court among everyone here. The center of attention, even as he casually talked with those around him.

“Ah, excellent.” He spoke as he saw Hayato. “I see that Hagihara-Sama had no issue providing a blade to our young Kensai!” He spoke warmly, and his voice carried despite his lack of any shouting.

Hayato puffed up proudly as she looked from me to her father. 

“Indeed, Hagihara-Sama worked diligently.” “As he always does. Young Kusanagi, how is it?”“It’s the finest blade I’ve ever seen.” I admitted, feeling the weight of the blade on my hip, and he smiled. 

“Perhaps you would be willing to reveal your blade to those present? I believe, yes there it is.” A pair of well dressed men pulled out a stand with a tatami cutting matt wrapped around it.

It was brought out and placed, and secured, and it was obvious this was all part of the show.

“Motoko?” A voice quietly whispered out, and I looked away from Shinobu to see Jun…

“Hey Jun.” I greeted him casually, as I walked up to the cutting post. 

He was standing next to Fujimura and I could see the absolutely lost look on his face as Fujimura looked from Jun to me, before he seemed to sigh and started whispering to Jun.

I though, wasn’t here just to say hi to Jun.

I walked up to the cutting post, and looking to Shinobu, the man gave me a nod, and I could see just how many people were watching, so right then, the moment he nodded, without any extra movements, no adjusting my stance first or gripping the hilt.

Sliding my feet on the tatami floors, my hands gripped sheath and hilt, and I drew,

The sound of the cut was dead silent, but there was a noise as the head of the post flopped onto the floor having been cut free.

I held the cut for a moment after and then slowly resheathed the blade. I’d barely felt the blade cut through the tatami cutting mat. This was a very sharp blade.

“Excellent! Truly Excellent! A new Kensai born here in Night City! Our very own home grown blade master!” Shinobu called out, and I got a few quiet claps at the performance. “Perhaps the Deravaja Dojo might see a young Kensai going to perfect her craft further, and of course show those with the proper mindset the right way to cut.” He called out, and I realized that was purposeful.

He’d just set me up as a sort of teacher at the Dojo. Or at least the potential of me doing that. 

I kept my face calm not showing any irritation.

And thankfully not long after, Shinobu shifted the attention from me, as I stepped back into the crowd towards where Hayato was waiting, getting congratulations at my accomplishment, from men and women I literally wouldn’t even hesitate to kill if it came down to it.

What a weird situation.

“Motoko.” The heavy hand on my shoulder made me look up.

“What’s up Jun?”“What are you doing here, what do you mean Kensai… What the fuck!?” He hissed quietly at me, and I blinked.

What?